Culinary students, members of the BC Chef Association, food-industry professionals, and one notorious tiny piglet, named Piggy Smalls, gathered at Maple Ridge High School and hopped aboard a bus for a full day of discovery during the Farm to Fork BC Tour. I was luckily invited along to join in and meet some of our future chefs. The itinerary took us across the Fraser Valley to meet the farmers, producers, and growers helping shape the future of sustainable food in British Columbia.
Piggy Smalls: The Notorious Piglet
We were introduced to a tiny piglet who was saved from a litter of pigs that we would meet later on. His mother rejected him and he would have surely met his fate if not for a kind couple, Daniel & Brooke Bergeron from Hendrix, and Academy Farm respectively, who took him in to foster before he will go on to reside at a farm for rescued animals. A very sweet beginning!
Hopcott Farms: Ethical Farming in Action
The buses first stop on the Farm ot Fork Tour was Hopcott Farms, a third-generation family farm known for whole-animal butchery and sustainable agriculture. I’ve been out to the farm and butcher shop many times over the years to shop, eat at the restaurant and attend various festivals and dinners. They sell Sea Cider Temperance Non-Alcoholic series along with many locally made BC products and have a huge butchery department and fresh veggies from local farms. More on Hopcott Farms here.
We toured the barns and learned about their ethical livestock management, humane handling, and how Hopcott integrates traditional butchery techniques with modern transparency.
We also visited their well-known cranberry fields, part of the Ocean Spray Co-Op—a highlight during harvest season and a uniquely BC experience.
A couple weeks later I was able to jump into the bog and learn a bit more about that Ocean Spray Co-Op.
Thomas Fresh: Produce With Purpose
Onward to Thomas Fresh, a major Western Canadian supplier specializing on supplying high-quality Asian, organic and conventional produce from established farms. The team walked us through their operations, showcasing their commitment to food quality, freshness, and community initiatives. Their partnerships with local organizations reinforce their goal to make fresh food accessible and sustainable.
We left with onions, garlic and the high school culinary students were eagerly planning what they might cook up with their gifted veggies. I was thinking French Onion Soup!
Highline Mushrooms: Innovation Meets Sustainability
Midday brought us to Highline Mushrooms in Langley, North America’s largest organic mushroom grower. Using advanced Dutch growing systems, Highline produces premium mushrooms year-round under precisely controlled environmental conditions. The tour highlighted sustainable farming, resource efficiency, and new consumer-friendly packaging that demystifies mushroom varieties for home cooks and chefs alike.
Farm to Fork Lunch Break
We enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and salsa from Fresh is Best, plenty of mushrooms from Highline and other veggies courtesy of Windset Farms and Half Your Plate. It was the perfect midday refuel and a great showcase the local products we were learning more about.
Academy Farms: Water Buffalo, Bison & Social Impact
The last stop on the Farm to Fork Tour was John Volken Academy Farms, a sprawling 108-acre farm home to more than 350 water buffalo, 100 bison, and a variety of other livestock, including goats, and pigs, including that hog family that Piggy Smalls is part of. Their farm and market supports the John Volken Academy, a long-term residential addiction-recovery program that focuses on life skills. They will have a new market shop in 2026, but the current one is stocked with some excellent local product including charcuterie made from their buffalo and bison, and an excellent selection of steak, eggs, and produce.
A wagon ride rolled us through the farm as we learned about modern farming technology, ethical livestock practices, and the farm-to-table values that guide their operations. This combination of agriculture and social impact left a lasting impression on everyone and it was interesting to hear how various groups of animals had to be separated as they can be rather mean to each other.
Returning to Maple Ridge Farm to Fork Tour
We returned to Maple Ridge High School tired, inspired, and more connected than ever to BC’s local food community. The Farm to Fork BC Tour was more than a day of learning—it was a deep dive into the people, innovation, and passion that drive British Columbia’s food system. From ethical farming to large-scale produce logistics, every stop revealed how sustainability, education, and local partnerships contribute to a stronger, healthier food future for all.
